parisite, Bacteria or fungus???

[redswi]

Sunday afternoon we got 6 neons, 4 headlight tetras, and 2 bosemani rainbows...at the time they all looked good and healthy...

Monday morning 1-dead neon...tested that evening, 0/0/10 nitrates...still all looked healthy...all ate

Tuesday morning 1-dead neon...tested 0/0/10 nitrates...rainbows would not eat, and acting skittish...headlights eat well and look good...same with neons...all fish have good color w/ clean appearance...I do a large PWC for good measure...

This morning, another dead neon...test when I get home, Trace ammonia, 0 nitrite, 15 nitrate...notice 1 neon w/ white cottony spot on it's right side swimming to his left (I'm thinking some sort of protozoan parasite) , but the rainbows have a little on their mouths (making me think fungus)....the headlights look great...all but rainbows eat...

HOW DO I TREAT THIS ???

BTW they are in a 55 gal listed below, been giving small doses of ammonia when it is empty, we test with an AP master kit, we did a large PWC on friday adding stress-coat (we were going to get fish saturday)

 

[Devilishturtles]

First off, it doesn't neccesarily surprise me that the neons died. They aren't always the best acclimaters to a new tank. The cottony yuck is not good, indication of a fungus. The thing on the mouths of the rainbows though, makes me think Columnaris (a nasty bacteria, eventhough it sometimes looks like a fungus). Any change for a picture?

If it hasn't cleared up at all, I would go get yourself some antibiotics as soon as possible to treat with. Columaris, if it's a vicious enough strain, can literally kill a fish in hours. Perhaps start with something easier (and cheaper and safer) like tetracycline. If you don't see an improvement, move up to Maracyn-Two.

The fungus you saw, does it look like a cotton ball? If so, you may also consider adding some malachite green or methylene blue to the tank.

 

[redswi]

Thanks Lindsay,

I treated w/malachite green wednesday night thinking fungus...thursday night I could not see anything on the fish....This afternoon the rainbows finally ate (like pigs)...The 2 remaining neons still wont eat, cant tell whats wrong with them by looking at them...headlights are just fine....

I'm beginning to think that there is some hidden parasite in the tank or filter...I am seriously thinking of tearing it down and starting over with it...I had a bad case of what looked like ick on my other fish right after moving them from this tank...I had never lost a fish or had to treat for illness until this setup...

 

[Devilishturtles]

Tearing the tank down will just set you back. Anything that you have in the tank had to have just come in with your new batch of fish. Parasites die within about a week with no fish host, and since your tank has been empty, no host for mr. parasite.

Is any food getting into your water column (sinking down from the top)? My neons won't eat from the surface of the water. I have to drop food below the water surface for them to get. Just an idea.

 

[redswi]

Is any food getting into your water column (sinking down from the top)?

I tried again, and crumbled some flake in front of the spraybar...They took it, but spit it back out...will try again in the morning.